1. Field
The present invention relates in general to navigation. Specifically, the present invention relates to methods and systems for dynamic and interactive navigation.
2. General Background and Related Art
Route finding methods or navigation methods are used to identify one or more routes between a specified originating location and a destination location. The identified routes are often determined based on certain user-specified criteria, such as shortest or fastest travel time. Evaluation of a route with respect to specified criteria is usually performed using recorded road information, such as length of road and road speed limit. Such information is static and does not incorporate the dynamics of the road. Examples of such dynamics include traffic congestion, road construction, or snow conditions. Dynamic information may significantly affect route evaluation.
Route finding methods that rely on static information may not accurately estimate travel time between an originating location and a destination location. In addition, the exclusive use of static information may preclude a route finding method from flexibly altering a route during travel. For example, if a user takes a route recommended by a navigation method based on a xe2x80x9cfastestxe2x80x9d route criterion, the user has no recourse if traffic on the route is at a standstill. If the user requests a new route based on the same criterion, the navigation method may recommend the same route because the method has no access to dynamic information, such as traffic information, that may trigger an unsatisfactory evaluation of the earlier-recommended route.
Therefore, what is needed is a navigation method and system that incorporates various kinds of dynamic information in determining a route.